diff --git a/src/AbstractExtendedPdo.php b/src/AbstractExtendedPdo.php
index cb28bbc..f241969 100644
--- a/src/AbstractExtendedPdo.php
+++ b/src/AbstractExtendedPdo.php
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ abstract class AbstractExtendedPdo extends PDO implements ExtendedPdoInterface
      */
     public function __call(string $name, array $arguments)
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
 
         if (! method_exists($this->pdo, $name)) {
             $class = get_class($this);
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ public function __call(string $name, array $arguments)
      */
     public function beginTransaction(): bool
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
         $this->profiler->start(__FUNCTION__);
         $result = $this->pdo->beginTransaction();
         $this->profiler->finish();
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ public function beginTransaction(): bool
      */
     public function commit(): bool
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
         $this->profiler->start(__FUNCTION__);
         $result = $this->pdo->commit();
         $this->profiler->finish();
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ public function commit(): bool
      *
      * @return void
      */
-    abstract public function connect(): void;
+    abstract public function autoConnect(): void;
 
     /**
      *
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ abstract public function disconnect(): void;
      */
     public function errorCode(): ?string
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
         return $this->pdo->errorCode();
     }
 
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ public function errorCode(): ?string
      */
     public function errorInfo(): array
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
         return $this->pdo->errorInfo();
     }
 
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ public function errorInfo(): array
      */
     public function exec(string $statement): int|false
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
         $this->profiler->start(__FUNCTION__);
         $affectedRows = $this->pdo->exec($statement);
         $this->profiler->finish($statement);
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ public function getProfiler(): ProfilerInterface
      */
     public function inTransaction(): bool
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
         $this->profiler->start(__FUNCTION__);
         $result = $this->pdo->inTransaction();
         $this->profiler->finish();
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ public function isConnected(): bool
      */
     public function lastInsertId(?string $name = null): string|false
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
         $this->profiler->start(__FUNCTION__);
         $result = $this->pdo->lastInsertId($name);
         $this->profiler->finish();
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ public function lastInsertId(?string $name = null): string|false
      */
     public function perform(string $statement, array $values = []): PDOStatement
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
         $sth = $this->prepareWithValues($statement, $values);
         $this->profiler->start(__FUNCTION__);
         $sth->execute();
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ public function perform(string $statement, array $values = []): PDOStatement
      */
     public function prepare(string $query, array $options = []): PDOStatement|false
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
         $sth = $this->pdo->prepare($query, $options);
         return $sth;
     }
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ public function prepareWithValues(string $statement, array $values = []): PDOSta
             return $this->prepare($statement);
         }
 
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
 
         // rebuild the statement and values
         $parser = clone $this->parser;
@@ -645,7 +645,7 @@ public function prepareWithValues(string $statement, array $values = []): PDOSta
      */
     public function query(string $query, ?int $fetchMode = null, mixed ...$fetch_mode_args): PDOStatement|false
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
         $this->profiler->start(__FUNCTION__);
         $sth = $this->pdo->query($query, $fetchMode, ...$fetch_mode_args);
         $this->profiler->finish($sth->queryString);
@@ -670,7 +670,7 @@ public function query(string $query, ?int $fetchMode = null, mixed ...$fetch_mod
      */
     public function quote(string|int|array|float|null $value, int $type = self::PARAM_STR): string|false
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
 
         $value = $value ?? '';
 
@@ -742,7 +742,7 @@ public function quoteSingleName(string $name): string
      */
     public function rollBack(): bool
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
         $this->profiler->start(__FUNCTION__);
         $result = $this->pdo->rollBack();
         $this->profiler->finish();
@@ -992,7 +992,7 @@ protected function setQuoteName(string $driver): void
      */
     public function getAttribute(int $attribute): bool|int|string|array|null
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
         return $this->pdo->getAttribute($attribute);
     }
 
@@ -1006,7 +1006,7 @@ public function getAttribute(int $attribute): bool|int|string|array|null
      */
     public function setAttribute(int $attribute, mixed $value): bool
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
         return $this->pdo->setAttribute($attribute, $value);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/DecoratedPdo.php b/src/DecoratedPdo.php
index 8438b46..b379879 100644
--- a/src/DecoratedPdo.php
+++ b/src/DecoratedPdo.php
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public function __construct(PDO $pdo, ?ProfilerInterface $profiler = null)
      * @return void
      *
      */
-    public function connect(): void
+    public function autoConnect(): void
     {
         // already connected
     }
diff --git a/src/ExtendedPdo.php b/src/ExtendedPdo.php
index 16e2819..62d2744 100644
--- a/src/ExtendedPdo.php
+++ b/src/ExtendedPdo.php
@@ -85,13 +85,26 @@ public function __construct(
         $this->setQuoteName($parts[0]);
     }
 
+    public static function connect(
+        string $dsn,
+        ?string $username = null,
+        ?string $password = null,
+        ?array $options = [],
+        array $queries = [],
+        ?ProfilerInterface $profiler = null
+    ): static {
+        $pdo = new static($dsn, $username, $password, $options ?? [], $queries, $profiler);
+        $pdo->autoConnect();
+        return $pdo;
+    }
+
     /**
      *
      * Connects to the database.
      *
      * @return void
      */
-    public function connect(): void
+    public function autoConnect(): void
     {
         if ($this->pdo) {
             return;
@@ -100,7 +113,11 @@ public function connect(): void
         // connect
         $this->profiler->start(__FUNCTION__);
         list($dsn, $username, $password, $options, $queries) = $this->args;
-        $this->pdo = new PDO($dsn, $username, $password, $options);
+        if(version_compare(phpversion(), '8.4.0', '<')) {
+            $this->pdo = new PDO($dsn, $username, $password, $options);
+        } else {
+            $this->pdo = PDO::connect($dsn, $username, $password, $options);
+        }
         $this->profiler->finish();
 
         // connection-time queries
@@ -152,7 +169,7 @@ public function __debugInfo(): array
      */
     public function getPdo(): PDO
     {
-        $this->connect();
+        $this->autoConnect();
         return $this->pdo;
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/ExtendedPdoInterface.php b/src/ExtendedPdoInterface.php
index 88196a5..369fc28 100644
--- a/src/ExtendedPdoInterface.php
+++ b/src/ExtendedPdoInterface.php
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ interface ExtendedPdoInterface extends PdoInterface
      * Connects to the database.
      *
      */
-    public function connect(): void;
+    public function autoConnect(): void;
 
     /**
      *